BTS’s Jimin, Exo’s Baekhyun, Stray Kids’ Felix: 7 male K-pop idols using make-up to express who they really are
- While male idols regularly wear make-up to look flawless on stage, these seven take things much further
- Some even endorse make-up products, such as Shinee’s Key for Make Up For Ever and the whole of Stray Kids for Club Clio
South Korea accounts for 20 per cent of the global market for men’s cosmetics, and K-pop has had a great influence on the growth of this percentage as fans and followers around the world not only want to buy the items their favourite idols endorse but also recreate their looks.
While it’s normal to see male idols wearing make-up to look flawless and youthful on stage, in the last few years some of them have decided to take it further and use it as a tool to express who they really are. Here are seven that stand out.
Shinee’s Key
Key’s sense of aesthetic just hits different. Since his debut back in 2008 he’s been a pioneer in the K-pop realm in terms of fashion, make-up and skincare trends, always experimenting and taking his looks a step further to express himself.
This quality has granted him a spot in the small group of young celebrities constantly pushing for society to embrace and respect genderless aesthetics in the industry, which has opened doors for him to represent and partner-up with make-up and fashion brands that other idols usually wouldn’t go for.
As an example, in May, Key became one of the first male idols to team up with a global make-up brand to promote an eyebrow collection, partnering with Make Up For Ever to market their bestselling “Aqua Resist” line. The partnership involved a shoot in Marie Claire Korea where Key showed how the Aqua Resist Brow Filler and the Aqua Resist Brow Definer helped him accomplish his always bold, full brows.
Shinee’s Taemin
Just as his fellow group member, Taemin has always been about breaking the mould and adding a touch of duality to his looks. His style mixes masculinity and femininity, and he is a fan of adding a smoky, dramatic touch to his eyes.
As he’s said in the past, black eyeliner, subtle pink lip tint and matte black eyeshadow are his make-up essentials, but his favourite item to play around with is eyeshadow palettes, as the colour variety allows him to experiment with different moods and vibes.
His influence has been so profound that netizens regularly reach out to brands such as Nars and MAC Cosmetics to present Taemin as a candidate for ambassador due to his duality, which can be of inspiration for both men and women.
Stray Kids’ Felix
